This invention relates to shelving for refrigerators and the like.
A basic refrigerator cabinet is typically provided with two compartments, namely a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment. These compartments are commonly arranged as either a "top mount" or a "side-by-side" cabinet. In the top mount arrangement, the two compartments are stacked vertically, one upon the other, and each compartment extends fully across the width of the refrigerator cabinet. In the side-by-side arrangement, each of the compartments commonly extends the full height and only partially across the width of the refrigerator cabinet. The side-by-side arrangement is a relatively more recent development to enhance storage and provide a user with a choice for refrigerated storage.
The use of shelving for refrigerators has generally evolved from providing no shelving in the freezer compartment and only fixed shelving in the refrigerated compartment to the use of vertically adjustable, tempered glass shelves, and the like, which are cantilevered from adjustable shelf tracks mounted on a back wall of each compartment. Typically, these shelves extend across the full width of the respective compartment. Particularly in top mount refrigerators, shelving and storage versatility has been further enhanced with a variety of specialty shelves, configured for specific storage tasks. The simplest and most common of these adaptations is the use of a center shelf track for supporting half width shelves in either of a left or right half of the compartment.
While these prior advances in refrigerator shelving design have enhanced refrigerated storage versatility, there is still significant inefficiency when tall beverage containers and the like are positioned on or under the known refrigerator shelving. It is inherent that the spacing between refrigerator shelves is dictated by the tallest object placed on or under any given shelf. This often results in one or a few tall containers dictating a large shelf spacing with the common result of inefficient use of refrigerated space because the remainder of that shelf space is shared with shorter items. Alternatively, shorter items may be stacked or balanced upon each other in the remainder of that shelf space with the unavoidable result that these stacked items will be jostled and fall during the course of retrieval and replacement of items from the refrigerator.
The need was, therefore, apparent for a refrigerator shelving system which would provide needed adjustability with accompanying efficiency in utilization of refrigerator or freezer compartment space for both large and small, short and tall items.